PANJIM: Directing the State government to form a committee on construction debris the High Court of Bombay at Goa has made secretaries of village panchayats and chief officers of municipalities responsible and accountable for dumping of waste in their jurisdiction.
The orders passed by the Division Bench comprising Justice Prithviraj K Chavan and Justice J N M Jamdar has asked the State to give emphasis, to re-cycling and using the demolition or construction waste.
The court put the responsibility of implementation of the circulars, issued by the government departments, on the secretaries of the panchayats and CO of the
respective local bodies. “Failure to adhere to the circulars will be take note of by the disciplinary authorities,” the directions read.
The court further asked the State to set up a committee within three months or entrust the work to a particular department or officers to study the guidelines issued for use of Construction and Demolition Waste and the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016 as to recommend steps envisaged under the above rules and the documents as applicable in the State in addition to the circulars already issued by the government.
Directing the State to give wide publicity in various forms of media to these initiatives, to involve the citizens in recycling of construction debris, the court also asked the government to ensure that the mechanism that it has evolved of bringing construction debris to the designated site and then using the same in the construction is monitored by entrusting the task of supervision, either to one officer or a specified department.
“The State shall strictly enforce the circulars issued which have been referred to in this order and also strictly enforce its circular dated 13 July 2018 to include the additional specifications and conditions in the tenders whenever applicable and ensure that the contractors who accept such tenders adhere to the conditions of the Circulars,” it said.
The court also directed the Director of Urban Development and the Director of Panchayats to ensure strict compliance of the circulars issued by them that the construction debris in the jurisdiction of the local bodies, including the corporation or municipalities will have to be deposited at the designated sites.
“The Director of Panchayat shall ensure strict enforcing of the circulars issued that the village panchayats will clear the construction debris and demolition waste and deposit the same at the designated sites,” the directions read.
Besides, the court also asked the Director of Panchayats and the Direction of Municipal Administration to take necessary deterrent action in case there is non-compliance of the directions issued to the local bodies by them.
Further, the court asked the State that the identification of the dumping sites should be such as far as possible to avoid any inconvenience to the surrounding residents.
“Outer limit of three month from today is fixed for the implementation of the proposed initiatives of this order,” it read.
